Palace says critics stirring global outrage against Philippines

March 27, 2017

Malacanang hit on Monday anew President Rodrigo Duterte's foreign critics, whether human rights groups or international news agencies, calling them insensitive to the cultures of others and stirring global outrage against the Philippines.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella was reacting on the remarks of Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phelim Kine on Duterte's "finally acknowledging" that the war on drugs was "a war on the poor."

Duterte, in an earlier speech, justified why most of casualties in the war against illegal drugs were from the poor.

Abella said, "the  war on drugs is not targeted at any particular segment of society."

"As the President said, he has to clean up the streets of drug users, pushers and dealers, regardless of their socioeconomic status in life. Nothing can be farther from the truth than the HRW accusation that President Duterte has  'contempt for lives'," he said, citing a survey that eight out of 10 Filipinos living in Metro Manila now feel safer and more secure under the current administration.

"HRW and similar other organizations should therefore be more circumspect about meddling in the country’s domestic affairs. Their lack of appreciation of the context and local reality show a deep insensitivity to other cultures," Abella stressed.

Abella slammed the New York Times for the series of articles against Duterte, the recent of which was a video documentary, "When A President Says, 'I'll Kill You'," zeroing in on the alleged vigilante deaths under the present administration.

"NYT’s very obvious demolition work flies in the face of the very high approval of PPRD (Duterte) enjoys . The newspaper tries to stir global outrage in a nation that welcomes its newfound peace and order," Abella said.

He alleged "certain  personalities and politicians have mounted a well funded campaign utilizing hack writers and their ilk in their bid to oust" Duterte.

Abella vowed the Duterte administration would not be deterred in fulfilling its promise of building a progressive and inclusive nation free from drugs, crimes and corruption.

Meanwhile, Abella welcomed Duterte's inclusion in the Time Maganize's "most influential list."

"President Duterte is grateful to the Filipino people all over the world for their support for him and his agenda of real change in Philippine society. As a public servant he serves the nation faithfully and without any thought of receiving any distinction," he said.

"For him, the presidency begins and ends with public interest."

The Time Magazine has included Duterte in the  annual list of the 100 most influential persons in the world. Celerina Monte/DMS